Presently he awoke and opening his eyes，shut them again and heard the damsel at his head say to her at his feet，'Hist，Kheizuran！'Well，Kezib el Ban？'answered the other. 'Verily，'said the first'our lord knows not what has passed and watches over a tomb in which there is only a carved wooden figure，of the carpenter's handiwork.'Then what is become of Cout el Culoub？'
enquired the other. 'Know，'replied Kezib el Ban. 'that the Lady Zubeideh bribed one of her waiting-women to drug her with henbane and laying her in a chestcommanded Sewab and Kafour to take it and bury it among the tombs.'Quoth Kheizuran，'And is not the lady Cout el Culoub dead？'No，'replied the other；'God preserve her youth from death！but I have heard the Lady Zubeideh say that she is with a young merchant of Damascus，by name Ghanim ben Eyoub，and has been with him these four months，whilst this our lord is weeping and watching anights over an empty tomb.'When the Khalif heard the girls'talk and knew that the tomb was a trick and a fraud and that Cout el Culoub had been with Ghanim ben Eyoub for four months，he was sore enraged and rising up，summoned his officers of statewhereupon the Vizier Jaafer the Barmecide came up and kissed the earth before himand the Khalif said to him'O Jaafertake a company of men with thee and fall upon the house of Ghanim ben Eyoub and bring him to mewith my slave-girl Cout el Culoubfor I will assuredly punish him！'I hear and obey，'answered Jaaferand setting out with his guards and the chief of the police，repaired to Ghanim's house. Now the latter had brought home a pot of meat and was about to put forth his hand to eat of it，he and Cout d Culoubwhen the damsel，happening to look outfound the house beset on all sides by the Vizier and the chief of the police and their officers and attendants，with drawn swords in their handsencompassing the placeas the white of the eye encompasses the black. At this sightshe knew that news of her had reached the Khalifher master，and made sure of ruinand her colour paled and her beauty changed. Then she turned to Ghanim and said to him'O my love，fly for thy life！'What shall I do？'said he；'and whither shall I go，seeing that my substance and fortune are in this house？'Delay not，'answered she，'lest thou lose both life and goods.'O my beloved and light of my eyes，'rejoined he，'how shall I do to get away，when they have surrounded the house？'